While we're just a few weeks away from the premiere of season 4 of Black Mirror on Netflix, China is already living with an app that's eerily similar to an existing episode.
In the season 3 premiere "Nosedive," which starred Bryce Dallas Howard descending into madness, society is practically run by an app that allows users social credit based on their occupation, who they interact with, and their achievements. Score high on the app and you can get everything from better rental cars to discounts on apartments in better neighborhoods. According to an intriguing article from Wired, an app by the name of Zhima Credit is basically doing the same thing in China.
The Zhima app somehow got away with combining your regular credit score with who your friends are and where you shop. Similar to the Black Mirror episode, higher scores allow you to do shit like rent a car without putting down a deposit. The government apparently even has a similar scoring system that could net those with terrible ratings onto the no-fly list.
That's some scary shit, but if China loves it, do the damn thing. Just, please, don't bring that shit over here.
